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In a year full of injuries to major players, the Dallas Cowboys have shown great resilience to achieve a 7-6 record. To date, the team has lost 6 starters, and may soon have to deal with one of the biggest losses yet. Team officials say that WR Dez Bryant may end up on IR, depending on whether or not surgery is needed.

Bryant has grown into the complete football player that the Cowboys hoped they were getting when they drafted him in the 1st Round 3 years ago. Bryant has erupted for his first career 1000 yard season, aided in large part due to averaging over 100 yards a game over his last 5. That stretch also includes 7 touchdowns and gives him 9 on the year, equaling his 2011 campaign through only 13 games. He has looked uncoverable at times, simply overpowering smaller cornerbacks and displaying too much quickness for bigger ones.

After battling through off the field issues his whole career, Dez has finally put all the pieces together. Anyone who questions his toughness clearly does not watch him on a regular basis. Dez always is one of the most passionate players on the field (sometimes to a fault), and this sentiment has been relayed by his Head Coach:

Dez is very passionate about playing. Anyone who's been around him knows that. He actually hurt his finger prior to catching that touchdown pass that was a such a difference-making play in the game. He's just one of those guys. He loves to play. He's very emotional about the game, very passionate about the game, so we're going to do everything we can to give him a chance to play. At the same time, there's a medical decision as well that we have to factor into this thing, and we'll do the right thing

As Garret alluded to, there is a future to think about. No matter how badly we want him on the field for these final 3 games, we cannot let them influence the next 10 years of his career. If Bryant can continue on his astronomical rise, even if it's not til next season, he will grow into the best WR at Valley Ranch since a different #88. That's worth shutting him down for if it's necessary.

Now, in terms of this season, we can't imagine a more painful loss to this team (save for Romo, maybe Witten). Dez has electrified the squad time and time again, and even did so this past Sunday. The fact that he made that play with a broken finger is even more awe-inspiring. His loss would be extremely difficult to overcome. Miles Austin would be relied upon to get open consistently and fill most of the void, along with contributions from Harris, Ogletree, and Cole Beasley.

Injuries are a part of the game in the NFL. It just makes it so much harder when it happens to a guy playing the best football of his career.